terms.qmd

---
title: "Glossary"
engine: knitr
---

## Overview

Learning a programming language is just like learning a spoken language: there are a lot of terms and definitions to learn! To complicate matters for an [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} / [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} bilingualism context like this one, the two programming languages sometimes use the same term with very different definitions attached. To hopefully streamline term acquisition / comparison, I'm compiling a glossary of crucial [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} and [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} terms below.

Note that if a definition has a term in both languages, the definition is given with the terms in the respective languages beneath. If a term is only found in one language it is given first and subsequently defined.

## General Terms

- Data stored for later re-use (regardless of structure/dimensions)
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- variable
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- object

- Category of information stored in a given data [variable]{.py}/[object]{.r}
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- type
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- class

- Downloadable set of functions
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} & [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- library / package
    - See "Tools" for definition of 'function'

## Data [Types]{.py}/[Classes]{.r}

- Numbers that are not a fraction (i.e., are a whole number)
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} & [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- integer
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} `pandas` library -- int64

- Non-integer numbers
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- float
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} `pandas` library -- float64
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- numeric

- Text / content stored as text
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- string
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} `pandas` library -- object
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- character

- Categorical content with an order among the unique entries (often--though not necessarily--with few _unique_ entries relative to _total_ number of entries)
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} _ONLY_ -- factor

- Logical values indicating whether conditions are met
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- boolean (`True` / `False`)
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- boolean (`TRUE` / `FALSE` / `T` / `F`)

- [Variable]{.py}/[Object]{.r} holding an ordered sequence of data (_can_ be modified)
   - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- list
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- vector (_must_ be one-dimensional) / list

- Each component of a [list]{.py}/[list]{.r}
   - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- item
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- element

- [Variable]{.py} holding an ordered sequence of data (_cannot_ be modified)
   - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} _ONLY_ -- tuple [too-pull]

## Operators

- Assignment operator -- creates a new [variable]{.py}/[object]{.r}
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- `=`
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- `<-` / `->`

- Arithmetic operators -- performs basic arithmetic
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} & [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- addition (`+`)
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} & [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- subtraction (`-`)
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} & [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- multiplication (`*`)
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} & [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- division (`/`)
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- exponent (`**`)
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- exponent (`^`)

- Arithmetic assignment operator -- does an arithmetic operation and stores the result in a [variable]{.py}
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} _ONLY_ -- arithmetic operator and assignment operator (e.g., `+=`)

- Relational operators -- conditional statements that return boolean values
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} & [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- 'exactly equal to' (`==`)
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} & [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- 'not equal to' (`!=`)
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} & [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- greater/less than (`>` / `<` respectively)
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} & [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- greater/less than or equal to (`>=` / `<=` respectively)

- Namespacing operator -- specifies library in which a given function is defined
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- a period `package.function` _(required)_
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- two colons `package::function` _(optional)_

## Tools

- [variable]{.py}/[object]{.r} containing multiple, inter-related operations that are run in a pre-defined order every time the [variable]{.py}/[object]{.r} is used
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} & [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- function

- Value sent to a function when called to modify behavior (sometimes optional)
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} & [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- argument / parameter

- Function that can only be used on a specific [type]{.py}/[class]{.r} of [variable]{.py}/[object]{.r} that supports arguments (sometimes optional) to modify behavior
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- method (`variable.method(...)`)
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- just a special case of function

- Function that can only be used on a specific [type]{.py}/[class]{.r} of [variable]{.py}/[object]{.r} _without_ arguments to modify behavior
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- attribute (`variable.attribute`)
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- just a special case of function

## Data Characteristics

- Number of [items]{.py}/[elements]{.r} in a [variable]{.py}/[object]{.r}
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- length (`len()`)
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- length (`length()`)

- Number of rows/columns in a two-dimension, tabular [variable]{.py}/[object]{.r}
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- shape (`.shape`)
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- dimensions (`dim()`)

- Number of characters in a string
    - [{{< fa brands python >}} Python]{.py} -- also length (`len()`)
    -  [{{< fa brands r-project >}} R]{.r} -- number of characters (`nchar()`)